Ty Dolla $ign

Skira/Rizzoli recently published a new art book titled Feelings: Soft Art, speaking to different people about the feelings evoked in them by a piece of art. Ty Dolla $ign was one such person, who penned a short essay about Gerhard Richter’s 1970 painting “Clouds,” titled “On All the Soft Good Things.”

See what the Free TC singer had to say below.

Marisa Mendez: Twitter || Instagram

“The softest thing I’ve ever heard are the wind chimes in my backyard. They are soft and cool and mellow.

As a producer, when I’m trying to make something soft, I start with a slow tempo. Then after that, it would be straight to acoustic guitar and vocals, or I’m going to go strings and just piano. Something real chill without the drums. Piano feels soft. Violins and all different string instruments feel soft. Guitar, even electric guitar before you start adding distortion, that you can play soft. Even drums — anything as long as you touch it softly. As a singer, it’s just that you have to approach it really nonaggressively. Like a slow build.

I used to go to the Church of the Harvest, right off Adams and La Brea. There was a pastor there who had the best big choir and the best band. He would start praying and the music would start playing and just make people feel so good, you
could break out of whatever you were going through. Soft music can have that effect, too. When I look up in the sky and I look at clouds, they look soft to me. I always wish I could just touch one. But I guess when the fog comes down, you are touching one.”

Spotted: XXL